Improvement in pipe-wrenches



LQANDERSOVN.

Pipe Tongs.

Patented March 19, 1872.

" mine sses LYBRUN ANDERSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, LEWIS H. SCHNEIDER, AND JOHN MARTIN, OF SAME PLACE;SAID SCHNEIDER ASSIGNS HIS RIGHT TO SAID ANDERSON AND MARTIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN PlPE-WRENQHES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYBRUN ANDERsON, of Washington, in the county ofWashington and in the District of Columbia, have invent-ed certain newand useful Improvements in Pipe Wrenches; and do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of referencemarked thereon making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in-the construction and arrangementof a pipewrench, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring tothe annexed drawing, in which-Figure 1 is a side view of my wrench, part in section, and Figs. 2 and3are views of different holders inserted in the wrench so as to make .itsuit thin or thick pipe.

A andB represent the two jaws of my wrench, pix'oted together, as shown,and forming on the other side of the pivot handles 0 O. The jaw Aisformed in hook shape, while the jaw B has a perfectlyflat surface; andin the front part of this latter jaw is a square recess, socket, orchamber for the reception of holders D or E. The holder D has a squareend or shank to fit in the socket in the jaw B, and its outer end isenlarged somewhat'in the shape of afoot,

as shown. in Fig. 2. The under side of this part of the holder D istoothed so as to grasp the pipe firmly without any very severe pressureupon the handles. This is necessary in turning brass pipes or otherpipes made of thin metal, as they will not bear any very hard pressure.The holder E is also, at one end, shaped so as to fit in the recess ofthe jaw B, while the other end is a .beveled flat surface. Both theholders D E are provided with a lon-. gitudinal groove, 0.; andaset-screw, b, is passed through the jaw B into said groove to preventthe holder from falling out. It will, however, be noticed that there isno strain in using the wrench upon this set-screw. The strain isentirely upon the jaw itself, as the holder rests upon the bottom of therecess in the jaw B.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,654, dated March19,1872.

If the holders should become worn, or if, for any other purpose, itshould become necessary to lengthen the holder, small pieces of metalmay be laid in the bottom of the recess and the holder placed on top ofthe same.

It will be seen that the walls of the lateral recess formed in the jaw Bare made on a line parallel with the front end of said jaw, and that thesteel dies or holders D or E are made to fit neatly within in saidrecess, and are inclined on their outer faces, form-ing a griping-point,so that, when the jaws A and B are separated from each other to receivethe pipe, the point or front end of the die and the hook of the jaw Aare on an oblique line from each other. By this construction I amenabled to more effectually gripe and take hold of the pipe, and moreeasily engage or disengage the sections thereof to or from each other.

It will be understood that the wrench-handles and j aws are made ofwrought-iron or brass, or similar inexpensive metal, while the die orholder I use is made of a solid block of cast-' steel; and that it isnot my intentionto have the die adjustable within its recess toaccommodate different sizes of pipe, as I propose to have a wrench foreach of such sizes. My only object in providing the die with the grooveing of two jaws, with one or both of said jaws faced with steel, is notnew, as such is in common use. the necessity of such face-plating ofsteel. I am also aware of the existence of a pipe-wrench composed of twojaws, one hooked and the other having a flat steel face-plate, with adovetailed tongue fitting into a corresponding groove in the other jaw,by which the same is forced out ward or drawn inward by a set-screwattached to its extremity nearest the handles. I am also aware of awrench having one hooked jaw and the other jaw provided with anoutward-sliding die, secured in a metallic stirrup attached to said jawand held in place by a key; but, none of these cases being similar inconstruction, and not possessing the advantages in op- My wrench isintended to obviate such to be my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the hooked jaw A with the jaw B pivoted thereto, andprovided with a lateral recess ncarits front end andthe steel die orholder 1), (or E,) inclined on its face, (at w,) as shown, and havingaslot, a, on its front, by

\ which it is held in the recess by the screw b eration that I conceivemine to have, I disclaim on an oblique line to the hook of the jaw A,all

substantially as and for the purposes set forth. In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of J uly1871.

LYBRUN ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

E. R. BROWN, E. W. W. GRIFFIN.

